1. Field of the Invention
The invention herein pertains to protection of extremity intravenous sites as used by medical personnel and in particular to devices that are used to protect intravenous sites from contact and injury.
2. Description of the Prior Art and Objectives of the Invention
Catheters having fluid tubes attached thereto are used at selected intravenous sites on limbs of patients for supplying blood, saline solutions, medicines and other liquids. Oftentimes patients receiving intravenous therapy must be transported such as from an accident location to a local hospital as quickly and efficiently as possible. Frequently, lifting and moving such a patient will jostle or impact the patient, causing partial or complete removal of the catheter, sometimes with extreme consequences to the patient. At other times a hospital patient receiving intravenous therapy may randomly move or jerk, causing the catheter to withdraw. At other times, the intravenous site on the patient's arm, hand, foot or leg may be brushed with bed coverings, clothing or other items dislodging the catheter and terminating critical intravenous therapy.
Various intravenous protection devices have been developed in the past, such as set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,324 which discloses a transparent shield for on-site protection of an intravenous catheter. Other devices have attempted to immobilize the extremities during intravenous therapy, as set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,724,456, 4,502,477 and 5,025,801. Each of these devices is useful in certain circumstances, however, the need for a comprehensive intravenous site protection device has persisted and it is therefore one objective of the present invention to demonstrate an intravenous site protection device for an extremity which both protects and immobilizes the site from contact and which can be easily removed after termination of the therapy.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide an intravenous site protection device which includes a top member and a bottom member which are held in place on an arm or leg by releasable securing straps.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide an intravenous site protection device which is molded from a rigid, transparent plastic for easy monitoring by hospital medical staff members and emergency medical personnel during patient transportation.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide an intravenous site protection device which includes a raised portion and connecting channel to accommodate an intravenous catheter and supply tube.
Various other objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as a more detailed description is set forth below.